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John Brookfield Gripper

The John Brookfield Gripper, often abbreviated JBG, was a long-handled heavy steel hand gripper associated with grip author and strongman John Brookfield. It differed from conventional fixed-handle torsion-spring grippers by using removable handle extensions. Moving the hands along the extended handles changed the available leverage, allowing one device to be used across a range of difficulty.[1][2]

  • Status: Discontinued
  • Known availability: By 2007
  • Known versions: Advertised as 175-350 lb and 200-400 lb
  • Also called: Brookfield Gripper, JBG gripper

The dates of introduction and discontinuation, manufacturer, production quantity and exact construction specifications have not yet been confirmed.

Design

Surviving owner descriptions identify the JBG as a heavy steel gripper with screw-in handle extensions. One owner described approximately 1/2 inch of exposed thread and extension sections joined with a threaded grub screw.[3] The extensions provided progressively greater leverage as the user's hand position moved away from the spring.

This construction made the JBG function differently from a conventional gripper with short, fixed handles. Contemporary users described an unusually wide and difficult sweep, even when using the advertised lower end of the resistance range.[1] The extensions also allowed the same gripper to be used for two-hand closes, controlled negatives and attempts from different hand positions.

Advertised versions

At least two versions were discussed by owners in 2007:[1]

Version Advertised range
Standard version 175-350 lb
Heavy version 200-400 lb

These figures were seller ratings based on the available leverage positions. They should not be treated as RGC ratings or as directly comparable with the nominal poundage printed on conventional torsion-spring grippers. No verified calibration data for either model has been located.

An owner who reported being close to closing a Captains of Crush No. 3 described the 200-400 lb model as exceptionally difficult because of its long sweep. The same owner recommended it for negatives and two-hand work.[1] Another contemporary owner characterized the design as versatile for someone who did not yet own a full progression of fixed-strength grippers.[1]

Training uses

The surviving descriptions document several ways the extensions were used:

  • Leverage progression: gripping farther down the handles for more leverage, then moving toward the spring as strength improved.
  • Negatives: closing the gripper with two hands or at an easier leverage position, then resisting its opening.
  • Two-hand work: using both hands for the sweep or for assistance into the closed position.
  • Without extensions: advanced users could remove the extensions and attempt the short steel handles directly.[2]
  • Descending hand position: one later user described continuing a high-repetition set by moving the hands down the handles as fatigue accumulated.[4]

Kettlebells.co.uk formerly hosted a page titled John Brookfield Gripper Training Manual, described as exercises performed with the John Brookfield Gripper.[5] The retailer still lists the article, but the linked manual page now returns a 404 error. Archived copies may preserve additional exercises and original product details.[6]

Historical record

The clearest dated discussion found so far is an August 2007 GripBoard thread in which owners discussed both advertised resistance ranges and reported buying the grippers through eBay.[1] A separate period discussion on Boards.ie recommended the Brookfield gripper because its extensions could substitute for several conventional grippers.[7]

Surviving examples remained in use years after sales ended. A 2023 GripBoard discussion described the screw-in extension hardware in detail, showing that at least some examples continued to circulate among collectors and trainees.[3]

No current official sales page has been found. The current John Brookfield training resources at IronMind and Grip and Grasp document his broader approach to hand training but do not list this gripper for sale.[8][9]

Identification notes

A likely John Brookfield Gripper should have:

  • A heavy steel gripper body
  • Long removable handle-extension sections
  • Threaded joints between the short handles and extensions
  • A very wide closing sweep
  • A claimed range such as 175-350 lb or 200-400 lb

A later product sold as the TRS Sure Gripper has sometimes been compared with the Brookfield design because it also uses long handles and supports wide-set and negative training.[4] That resemblance does not establish that the products share a manufacturer or direct production history.

Research still needed

Photographs, packaging, advertisements, receipts and complete copies of the original training manual would help establish:

  • The original manufacturer and country of manufacture
  • Introduction and discontinuation dates
  • Original retail prices
  • Handle and spring dimensions
  • Whether additional resistance ranges existed
  • How the seller calculated the advertised poundage ranges

Collectors with a documented example are encouraged to preserve photographs of the complete gripper, threaded joints and any markings or packaging.

External resources

References

  1. GripBoard, "Has Anyone Tried The John Brookfield Handgrippers?," August 1-2, 2007. ↩
  2. GripBoard, "New Members Introduce Yourself Here, page 79," owner description of a 200-400 lb JBG with extensions. ↩
  3. GripBoard, "Choker," November 2023, description of a surviving John Brookfield gripper and its threaded extensions. ↩
  4. Desertcart mirror of customer reviews for "The Sure Gripper Hand Grip Strengthener Trainer," including comparison with the John Brookfield gripper. ↩
  5. Kettlebells.co.uk, "Kettlebell, Strength & Fitness Articles," listing for the John Brookfield Gripper Training Manual. ↩
  6. Wayback Machine capture index for the former manual page. ↩
  7. Boards.ie, "Hand Gripper," period discussion of the Brookfield gripper and extension handles. ↩
  8. IronMind, "John Brookfield's Grip Tips," archive of Brookfield's training articles. ↩
  9. Grip and Grasp, John Brookfield's current online hand-training course. ↩

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